Process of and apparatus for extracting naphtha



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. F. METZGER. PROGESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR BXTRAOTING NAPHTHA FROM OIL.

Patented July 7, 1896.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. P. METZGER. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOREXTRAOTING NAPHTHA FR'OM OIL.

No. 563,391. r Patented July 7, 1896.

gJZZZ/EJQZZZUI m 15K MAM (.No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet a. G. F. METZGER.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRAGTING NAPHTHA PROM OIL.

No. 563,391. Patented July 7, 1896.

2102255555 .[zzz'rezi 2271i (No Model.) 4 Sheets-.-Sheet 4.

w G. F. METZGER. r

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR EXTRAGTING NAPHTHA FROM OIL.

No. 563,391. Patented July '7, 1896.

Int/26 272171 m 1 67 m7 W 1?. Z MM UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GOTTLIEB F. METZGER, OF ELYRIA, OHIO.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR E XTRACTING NAPHTHAFROM OIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 563,891, dated July 7',1896.

Application filed February 19,1896. Serial No. 579,980. (No model.)

To all w/tmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GOTTLIEB F. METZGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elyria, .iu the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of andApparatus for Separating Naphtha from Oil; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

In the practice of the so-callec naphtha process of producinglinseed-oil the oil is first extracted or dissolved out of the meal, ina percolator, by means of naphtha. The next step in the process consistsin separating the naphtha from the oil; and it is to this step in theprocess that my present invention relates. The only method for efiectingthis result which heretofore has been practically successful consists ininjecting live steam into the mixture in the separator-tank, whereby thenaphtha is vaporized; and the naphthavapor, as formed, is withdrawn fromthe separatortank. XVhile this method of effecting this result has beenand is still practiced commercially, it is objectionable for severalreasons, the chief of which is that the resulting oil has a peculiarrank taste and smell, probably due to the fact that a permanentcombination has been effected between the naphtha and a small quantity(more or less) of the oil. This is due, as I believe, to the extremeheat and dryness of the live steam which is injected into the mixture.The hot steam brought into direct contact with the oil-globules suddenly raises their temperature, and some of the globules, I believe, arebroken, and thereupon a permanent combination between some of thenaphtha and the oil released from said globules is effected. The livesteam furnishes to the mixture very little (certainly not enough)moisture or water to protect the oil-globules and prevent this action. Imay be wrong in my theory as to why the oil gets the taste and smellreferred to, but it is a fact that it does get it when live steam isusedas described.

Another objection to the old method under consideration is that theresulting oil contains a greater or less quantity of the glutinousimpurity commonly known as foots. A

small quantity of glutinous matter in the meal is probably dissolved bythe naphtha in the percolator. The extreme heat of the live steam, andthe absence of moisture, cause this glutinous matterto coagulate in theseparator-tank as the naphtha is vaporized. The foots do not commonlyappear in the oil when it is first made, probably because the glutinousparticles are so finely subdivided that they are not visible; but afterthe oil has stood for awhile these particles seem to be attracted toeach other, and become visible as an impuritv. The peculiar taste andsmell of the oil heretbfore produced by the naphtha process, and thepresence therein of the foots, make the oil of less valuecommerciallythan the oils which are produced by pressure; and thesefacts have also prevented the successful use of the naphtha process forproducing cotton-seed oil or other oils which are used as food products.Another objection, which is of considerable practicable importance, isthe excess ive cost of the steam which must be used.

The objects of my invention are to produce a superior quality of oil,which is devoid of any rank taste or smell and which contains no foots,and to effect a considerable saving in the cost of separating thenaphtha from the oil; and with these ends in view the invention consistsin the process hereinafter described and claimedthat is to say, inheating the mixture of oil and naphtha to the temperature at which thenaphtha will be vaporized, in injecting into the mixture water heated toa temperature approximating that of the mixture, in mechanicallyagitating the mixture, and in conducting away the vapor as it is formed.

This process may be practiced by a variety of apparatuses, but thatwhich is shown in the drawings is especially adapted for the use. It isespecially contrived with the following desirable objects in view, viz:first, to effect a saving by its use, through utilizing the ex haustfrom the steam-coil in the separatortank, by which the mixture is heatedfor heating the water which is injected into the tank; second, toprevent the loss of oil or naphtha in the event of the steam-pipesbecoming leaky; third, to facilitate complete removal of the vapor asformed. A part of the invention resides in the said apparatus,

and consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus.Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the combined safety and vacuum valve. Fig.3 is a side elevation of said apparatus. Fig. 4 is alongitudinalvertical sectional view, and Fig. 5 is atransverse vertical sectionalview on line w 00 of Fig. 3.

The separator-tank 1 is preferably made of sheet metal of a rectangularform. It has an arch-shaped top 1, in the center of which is a roll orsupplemental arch 1, of smaller dialneter, which extends from one end ofthe tank to the other. Attached to the inside of one side of said tankare the pipes 2 2, closed at their inner ends by the plates 4 4, therebyforming rentrant-chambers 3 3. Manholes, closed by covers 5, are formedin the top of the tank, and a sight-glass 6 is set into each end, nearthe top, so that the contents of the tank may be seen. An opening, nearthe bottom of each end, is tightly closed by a door '7. The mixture ofoil and naphtha to be separated is admitted to the tank through the pipe9, having a valve 10. A pipe 11, having the valve 12, is connected withthe tank near one of the lower front corners, and it is through thispipe that the remaining oil and water are drawn after the naphtha hasbeen driven off. The tank rests upon any suitable blocking in suchmanner that the corner to which the pipe 11 is connected shall be thelowest point, thereby providing anatural drain. In the front of the tank1 is an oil-glass 30, opening through pipes 31 into the interior of saidtank, and provided with a cock 32 at the bottom. Each pipe 31 has thevalve 33, which may be closed and the contents of the oil-glass drawnoff by opening the cook 32.

A combined safety and vacuum valve 13 is secured to the top of the tankover an opening therein, and is constructed as follows: It includes anexternal cylinder 14 and a concentric internal cylinder 15, which issupported by means of the lateral braces 16. A collar 17 is screwed ontothe top of the cylinder 14, and a pipe 27, which is fastened to thiscollar, may be connected with a tank, which is not shown in thedrawings. Inside of the pipe 27 is a cross-bar 19, secured to the topsof posts 18. which are in turn secured to the collar 17. A valve 21 isadapted to fit the tops of the cylinders 14 and 15,and thereby close theentrance to the space between them. This valve has a valve-stem 21,which extends through an opening in the plate 19, whereby said valve isguided. A coil-spring 21", surrounding the said valve-stem, thrustsendwise against said plate and valve, and thereby forces the said valve21 down upon its seat. In the middle of the valve 21 is an opening 21,through which communication is had with the interior of the cylinder 15.A valve 24 is fitted to the lower end of the cylinder 15, and it isconnected by means of a coil-spring 24 with the valve 21. If thepressure in the tank becomes too great, the valve 21 is lifted from itsseat against the force of its spring 21", and the vapor escapes from thetank through the space between the cylinders 14 and 15. When a partialvacuum is formed in the tank, the valve 24 is auto matically opened, andvapor from the pipe 27 passes into the tank through the cylinder 15 andthrough the central opening in the valve 21. The use of a combinedsafety and vacuum valve prevents any possible explosion or collapse ofthe tank by reason of too much or too little pressure therein. A pipe28, having a valve 29, which may be operated by hand, projects from thefront of the tank, near the top thereof, and is for the purpose ofsupplementing the action of the combined safety and vacuum valve, ifnecessary. A hot-water tank is suitably supported, preferably by thebrackets 34, which are secured to the tank. This water-tank has athermometer 36 attached to one side, a safetyvalve 37 at the oppositeside, and a steamgage 38 at the top. Inside of the tank 35 is a float39, having a graduated stem 40, projecting through a packed hole in thetop of said tank for the purpose of indicating the height of watertherein. The interior temperature of the tank is registered bythethermomet-er, the pressure of steam therein gaged by the gage 38,while the valve 37 automatically relieves any excessive steam-pressuretherein. A pipe 41, having a valve 42, supplies a regulated quantity ofwater to said tank 35 during the vaporization of the naphtha. In thebottom of the separator-tank 1, resting upon any suitable supports, is asteamcoil 45, having sufficient capacity to heat the contents of saidtank to a temperature at which the naphtha and some of the water will bevaporized-approximately 212 Fahrenheit. A pipe for supplying live steamto this coil passes through the end of the tank. The other end of thecoil is connected by means of the pipe 46 with the hot-water tank 35. Byreason of this construction the exhaust-steam from the coil enters thetank 35 and thereby heats the water which is entering the said tank 35to the desired temperature, thus utilizing for this purpose the exhauststeam which might otherwise be wasted. This construction also effectsthe result of conducting and delivering into the hot-water tank 35 (fromwhich it will be delivered into the tank 1) any oil or naphtha which mayget into the steam-coil through any leaky joints therein. The describedconnection of the water-tank 35 with the steam-coil also provides asteam-pressure therein, by means of which the hot water is forced fromsaid tank into the perforated spraying-pipes 51, from which it issprayed into the contents of the separator-tank 1. These pipes 51 aresupported within the tank, close above the steam coil and close to theagitators, to be IIO presently explained. The pipes are connected bymeans of the pipes 50 with the bottom of the hot-water tank.

Journaled within the tank are two shafts 53, which extend from one endof the tank to the other and through one end. Agitators consisting ofdisks 51, having wings 55, are secured at intervals to the shafts 53within the tank 1. The pulleys 56 are fast to the ends of the shaft,which are outside of the tank and are connected by the cross-belt 57,while the pulley 58, which is fast on one of said shafts, furnishes themeans by which both shafts are driven by the belt 59. The two shafts aredriven in opposite directions constantly during the process ofseparating the naphtha from the oil, and they keep the contents of thetank in constant agitation.

A trough 60 is suspended within the tank a little below the base of thesupplemental arch 1, and it extends to within a short distance of eachend of said tank. Near the ends of the trough are the pipes 61, whichare secured to the bottom thereof and extend therefrom downward and passout through the reentrant-chambers 3, being connected outside of thetank by drum 62 with a pipe which conducts the vaporous and liquidnaphtha and water to a suitable tank. (Not shown.) The vapor createdwithin the tank rises to the top thereof, and is then deflected downwardinto the trough, from whence it enters the pipes 61. This trough notonly catches the vapor, but it catches any condensation of the vaporwhich may be formed in the supplemental arch in the top of the tank, andthus prevents it from falling back into the tank, where it might checkthe vaporizing action. The rentrant-chambers 3, which are open at theirouter ends, serve to cool the horizontal section of the pipes 61, andthus assist in condensing the vapor passing through the same, whereby itis more quickly reconverted into a liquid state. 'Within each chamber 3is a coupling 65, which connects the sections of the horizontal portionof the pipe 61 and permits of the ready separation of the same, forcleansing or other purposes.

Although I have described in detail the construction of all of the partswhich go to make up the apparatus which the drawings show, it is obviousthat in many respects these details are susceptible of change; and I donot intend that this patent shall be limited to the details ofconstruction which are shown and described to any greater extent than isparticularly pointed out in the several claims.

In conducting my improved process with the described apparatus themixture of oil and naphtha (or oil and any other volatile solvent whichmay have been used for extracting oil) is admitted to the tank throughthe pipe 9. Steam is turned into the steam-coil and the heating of themixture begins. The exhaust from the steam-coil enters the hotwater tank35, whereby the water therein is heated. WVhen the contents of theseparatortank 1 are heated to the temperature at which the naphtha isvaporized, the valve in the pipe 50 is opened, whereupon the hot waterbegins to be sprayed into the mixture from the perforations in the pipe51. At the same time the agitator-shafts are set in motion, and theseseveral parts of the process are continued simultaneously until all ofthe naphtha and a considerable quantity of the water which has beensprayed into the mixture have been vaporized and carried away throughthe pipes 61.

By reason of the described connection of the hot-water tank with theexhaust from the steam-coil it is evident that the temperature of thewater in said tank will always be ap proximately the temperature of themixture within the separator-tank 1; and thus, when said water isintroduced into the tank 1, it does not reduce the temperature andthereby check the evaporation to any considerable extent; nor does itsuddenly heat the particles of the oil and naphtha with which it comesin contact. It is a fact that this water is of a slightly lowertemperature than the contents of the tank, but since the water is injected in the form of a spray into the mixture and close to theheating-coils, as shown, this water spray is almost instantly raised toa temperature substantially equal to the temperature of said mixture.Vhen the operation of separating the naphtha from the oil has beencompleted, nothing will flow through the pipe 61 but water. Thereuponthe steam is shut off from the steam-coil, the water is shut off fromthe tank, and the operation of the agitators is stopped. The mixtureremaining in the tank will be about ninety per cent. oil and ten percent. water, more or less; and this mixture is drawn ofi through pipe 11to another tank (not shown) for final treatment.

One advantage of the described apparatus which may be here mentioned isthe fact that it does not require to be constantly watched, and in thisrespect it differs from anyapparatus heretofore used for separatingnaphtha from oil by injecting live steam into the mixture.

By employing the described process and apparatus an oil is producedwhich is sweet to the taste and smell, being devoid of the peculiartaste and smell which have heretofore characterized oil produced by thenaphtha p rocess. The water which has been injected into the tank haswashed and cleansed the oil, thereby making it unnecessary to effectthis result by a subsequent operation. The oil produced contains nofoots or other impurities, and it is invariably much lighter in colorthan the oil which has heretofore been produced by the naphtha process.In fact, the oil produced by the described process is equal in everyrespect to the so-called Calcutta oil produced by pressure from Calcuttaseed.

ICO

IIO

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The herein-described processof separating oil from its volatile solvent, which consists in heatingthe mixture of oil and solvent to a temperature at which the solventwill vaporize, in injecting hot water into said mixture, in mechanicallyagitating the mass, and removing the resulting vapors until thevaporization of the solvent is completed, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

2. The process of separating a volatile solvent from oil, consisting inheating the mixture of oil and solvent to the desired temperature byindirect steam radiation, in con densing the heating medium by a body ofwater, in introducing the said water into and through said mixture inthe form of hotwater spray, in mechanically agitating the resultingmixture of oil, solvent and water, and in removing the resulting vapors,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

I11 an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination of aseparatortank, having a vapor-outlet, with a heating device,water-pipes, and mechanical agitators, all contained within said tankbelow the operative level of the mixture therein, a hot-water tank,connected with said waterpipes, and means for forcing hot water fromsaid tank into and through said water-pipes, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

4:. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination ofa separatortank, having a vapor-outlet, with a steam heating coil,perforated spraying-pipes and mechanical agitators, all contained withinsaid tank, and means for forcing hot water into the separator-tankthrough said spraying-pipes, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

5. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination of atank provided with the arch 1 at the top, and one or morerecntrant-chambers,having an oil and naphtha inlet, and an oil-outlet,with a steam-coil, one or more spraying-pipes,and a trough,all withinsaid tank, and vapor-exit pipes leading from said trough through saidreentrant-chambers outside of said tank, a steam-inlet pipe, connectedwith said coil, a water-tank, a pipe connecting said hot-water tank withthe outlet end of said coil, and a hot-water pipe connecting said tankwith said spraying-pipes, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

6. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination of aseparator-tank having an oil and naphtha inlet, a vapor-outlet, and anoil-outlet, with a steam-coil, and one or more perforated spraying-pipeswithin the tank, a steam-inlet pipe connected with said coil, awater-tank connected by a pipe with the outlet end of said coil, and ahotwater pipe connecting said tank with said perforatedpipes,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination of atank having an oil and naphtha inlet, an oi1-outlet, and a vapor-outlet,with a steam-coil, one or more spraying-pipes, and one or more rotatableshafts having agitators thereon, all within the tank, a steam-inlet pipeconnected with said coil, a water-tank connected by a pipe with theoutlet end of said coil, a hot-water pipe connecting said tank with saidsprayingpipes, and means for rotating said shafts, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

8. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination of atank having an arch-shaped top, a trough suspended in the tank near saidtop,and one or more vapor-exit pipes connected with said trough andpassing therefrom downward and out of said tank, with means for heatingthe contents of the tank to a temperature which will vaporize thenaphtha, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

f). In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination ofa tank having an oil and naphtha inlet, and an oi1-outlet,with asteam-coil, one or more spraying-pipes, and a trough, all within thetank, and vapor-exit pipes leading from said trough outside of saidtank, a steam-inlet pipe connected with said coil, a water-tankconnected by a pipe with the outlet end of said coil, and a hot-waterpipe connecting said tank with said sprayingpipes, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

10. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination ofa tank having an oil and naphtha inlet, and an oil-outlet, with asteam-coil, one or more spraying-pipes, one or more rotatable shaftshaving agitators attached thereto, and a trough, all within said tank,vapor-exit pipes connected with said trough and extending therefromoutside of said tank, a steam-inlet pipe connected with said coil, awater-tank connected by a pipe with the outlet end of said coil, and ahotwater pipe connecting said tank with said spraying-pipes,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

11. In an apparatus for separating naphtha from oil, the combination ofa tank having an oil and naphtha inlet, a vapor-outlet, and anoil-outlet, with a steam-coil, and one or more spraying-pipes, allwithin the tank, with steam outlet and inlet pipes connected to oppositeends of said coil, a hot-water pipe connected to said spraying-pipes,and means for forcing hot water through said pipes, and a combinedsafety and vacuum valve connected with said tank, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

12. In an apparatus forseparating naphtha from oil, a tank having an oiland naphtha inlet, and an oil-outlet, with a steam-coil, one or morespraying-pipes, and a trough, all within said tank, vapor-exit pipesleading from said trough outside of said tank,a steaminlet pipeconnected with said coil,'a.watertank connected by a pipe with theoutlet end of said coil, a hot-Waterpipe connecting said tank with saidspraying-pipes, and a combined safety and vacuum valve connected withsaid tank, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

18. In combination, a tank having an oil and naphtha inlet, and anoil-outlet, the arch 1 at the top, and rentrant-chambers 3, 3, with asteam-coil, one or more sprayingpipes, and rotatable shafts withagitators thereon, and a trough, all Within the tank, a steam-inlet pipeconnected with said coil, a Water-tank connected by a pipe With theoutlet end of said coil, and a l1ot-Watcr pipe connecting saidWater-tank with said spraying-pipes, vapor-exit pipes leading from saidtrough through said reentrant-chambers to the out- GOTTLIEB F. METZGER.

IVitnesses:

E. L. THURSTON, L, F. GRISWOLD.

